Early Childhood Project

The Ardoch Early Childhood Support Project has developed to increase opportunities for prevention and early intervention with children aged 0-5 years and their families.

The project represents an extension of the learning of Ardoch Youth Foundation since 1988. In the initial stages of the Ardoch programs the strategies that were employed provided reactive solutions to homelessness, but it was soon realised that reaction was not enough. Ardoch developed prevention and early intervention strategies at early childhood, primary and secondary schools to maximise learning opportunities and support as a means to promote the wellbeing of all and to prevent issues like homelessness, youth suicide and family breakdown.

Our Early Childhood Support Project is a community development project, which is establishing an innovative early childhood support model to meet the learning and welfare needs of vulnerable children aged between birth and five years and their families.

The project involves:

Developing and implementing support programs for children and families.
Developing strategies to overcome barriers preventing access to relevant early childhood places.
Working with parents to link them in to community agencies and services and enhance their connectedness with community.
Linking relevant agencies, business and volunteers into early childhood centres.
Skilling volunteers to work in early childhood centres.
Providing opportunities for relevant professional development for centre staff and community workers.
Supporting transition from early childhood to school.
Producing documentation that enables the module to be transferable to other childhood centres.

The support model operates at South Melbourne Mission Kindergarten and at TRY South Yarra Preschool and primarily in the municipalities of Stonnington and Port Phillip.

As well as providing practical assistance to children and families, the project also has a significant advocacy role. It facilitates the placement of children and families who are in desperate need of early childhood education, in order to respond to developmental delays and experiences of poverty, neglect, domestic violence, abuse and homelessness.

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